North Quay rail terminal was extended to improve freight efficiency

FREMANTLE Ports is looking to be more efficient after three projects worth more than $65 million were recently finished.

The North Quay rail terminal was extended to improve the efficiency and turnaround times of trains transporting containers to and from the port and a new crossing loop was built in Spearwood.

The third project was the $27.2 million development of Rous Head roads and services following the 2010 harbour deepening.

Fremantle Ports External Affairs manager Ainslie de Vos said the container trade had grown by around 5 per cent annually in the past 10 years, making the infrastructure upgrade important.

‘Increased use of rail reduces reliance on heavy road freight vehicles for transporting containers to and from Fremantle Port’s inner harbour,’ she said.

‘The now completed extension of the rail terminal from 400m to 690m reduces turnaround time for freight trains and achieves better interface with the two North Quay container terminals for container transfer.’

Ms de Vos said the infrastructure did away with the need to uncouple carriages at the terminal to load and unload.

WA Transport Minister Dean Nalder and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss were at the North Quay rail terminal last Monday to mark the completion of the project, which was jointly funded by the state and federal governments.

Mr Nalder said supply chains would become more effective because of the more efficient rail links.

‘Making rail more efficient increases its competitiveness and the State Government is committed to investing in rail projects to service current needs and to provide additional capacity for growth,’ he said.

‘The rail projects will help reduce reliance on heavy road freight vehicles by using rail more efficiently to move goods around the Perth metropolitan area.’